EDITORIAL

Aquidneck Island with the season’s first coating of snow and dropping overnight temperatures into the twenties.

Those with a working fireplace and seasoned firewood rejoiced.

For others, the cold is a more unwelcomed guest.

It’s true that heating oil prices are lower than they have been in years past, but so too is the number of Rhode Islanders in the workforce. And that translates simply to more people in need.

If the Old Farmer’s Almanac has anything to say about it, this winter stands to be yet another long, cold slog.

And while Newport’s off-season always brings challenges as household budgets are stretched to meet the demands of winter, the holidays, and our own expectations, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this winter could be particularly hard on many around town.

Thanksgiving is now just around the corner and in its wake will come the onslaught of the Christmas shopping season.

But before our attention is drawn inward, let’s take the next two weeks to remember those less fortunate.

Coats, canned goods, toys, and turkeys: they’re all needed and are being accepted by organizations from Jamestown and Newport to Little Compton and Tiverton.

Seek them out in these pages or online. While the need may indeed be great, so are the opportunities to help.

Kudos to Salve and Sister Esther

Salve Regina celebrated the opening of their new dedicated sailing center on the water at Fort Adams in grand fashion on the weekend of Nov. 9 and 10. The facility, housed in the old brick building that most recently had been used as the Museum of Yachting, wouldn’t have been possible if not for the tireless advocacy of one determined nun. In fact, it’s likely that Salve Regina, which in recent years has proudly boasted one of the best teams in the country, wouldn’t have a sailing program at all if not for Sister Esther Whalen.

That the new sailing center was opened during the weekend of the Sister Esther Open is a fitting tribute to this erstwhile Salve fixture.

With Rome and Jerry Kirby on hand (Rome was a Salve sailor before he became an America’s Cup champion) and Mayor Henry F. Winthrop representing the city, there was much to celebrate on and off the water at Salve. A well-deserved kudos to all.